History

The Akkadian Dynasty lasted nearly 170 years and had a lasting impact on political, religious, and economic development in Mesopotamia (Franke, “Kings of Akkad,” 832).

Early in his reign, Sargon I (also called Sargon the Great) chose Akkade, a small city north of Kish, to be the capital of his new kingdom. (Akkade has not yet been located but is believed to be somewhere in modern Baghdad.) Sargon I expanded his kingdom to control much of Mesopotamia, including parts of modern-day Iran, Syria, and the regions around the Persian Gulf.

For generations, the Akkadians relied on their military might to maintain and grow their power. Sargon I is said to have had an army consisting of nearly 5,400 men (Saggs, Civilization, 41). This army first conquered the regions south of Akkade, toward the Persian Gulf, and then made advances northwest, up the Euphrates River, all the way to the Taurus Mountains of Turkey. Sargon’s military campaigns appear to have been largely economically motivated; Sargon was seemingly more interested in securing safe trade routes to reliable resources than he was concerned with territorial expansion (Chadwick, First Civilizations, 53). Through conquest and trade, Sargon I expanded Akkadian interests far beyond the boundaries of previous Sumerian settlements.

After Sargon I’s reign (2334–2279 bc), these kings ruled the Akkadian Empire:

• Rimush: 2278–2270 bc

• Manishtushu: 2269–2255 bc

• Naram-Sin: 2254–2218 bc

• Shar-kali-sharri: 2217–2193 bc

Shortly before 2200 bc, the Elamites in the east, the Lullubi (nomads of Syria and oldest enemies of the Akkadians), and the Gutians, turned against the Akkadians (Schwartz, “Pastoral Nomadism,” 254). The last Akkadian king, Shar-kali-sharri, whose name means “king of all kings,” attempted to prevent the kingdom from collapsing but was killed in his palace during the war.